Editor-in-chief, I don't know what to write.
Two days after the deadline, I received this message from the staff member in charge of the manuscript.
He said that they had confirmed in advance that they would proceed with the content in this way, but as soon as he opened the white document to write the article, he had no idea what to write.
Confusion is inevitable when starting something new, but even the staff themselves are not entirely sure what Monosasu will be, and so in addition to positive reactions, they have also expressed a variety of bewildered opinions about the site. Some have said things like, "I don't know what to write," "I'm not good at writing," "I can't write well that quickly," and "I'm so busy with work that I don't have time to write."
Still, two months after the launch, we are beginning to get a vague idea of what the Monosas site is. At the same time, it seems that there are some difficulties that come with seeing the outline of the site...
Initially, we told all contributors, "This site is a platform, so just like installing apps onto an operating system, please install the section you are responsible for onto the site. We think it would be good for each section to have its own unique characteristics."
That feeling hasn't changed to this day. However, the tricky part is that "each unique feature" doesn't necessarily mean "anything goes."
The confusion at the beginning, "I don't know what to write," may be a result of realizing that "anything goes" is not the case, and being unable to move forward.
The face of the individual or the company?
The question of which one should I write?
When writing an article for the Monosasu website, one question that can be difficult is, "Who is the subject?"
For example, in sections such as "Coding Methodology" and "Webmasters Go," where each department shares information related to their work, it can be difficult to decide who to use as the subject. If you are talking about a methodology shared within a department or a skill that is generally known to the public, it may be natural to use the subject "we."
But as soon as the subject becomes "we," the voice feels like it has been filtered through something. It's as if the noise of the individual's voice is purified, or the rawness is stripped away. The methodology may be clearly conveyed, but the presence of the writer becomes weaker.
On the other hand, there are problems that arise when you use "I" as the subject. For example, in the "Work and Life" section, the subject is naturally "I" because the posts are based on the poster's own experiences. This makes you feel like "Since it's about me, I can write about anything I want." However, if you allow people to write about anything they want, regardless of their "monosus," because it's about "me," then it becomes just another personal blog.
The question of whether the subject is "I" or "we" can be rephrased as the question of whether to speak with the face of an individual or the face of the company. The Monosasu site is a corporate site, but rather than the company being the subject, I think it is a site that shows more of an individual face and has a warmth to it. At the same time, it is not entirely about individuals, and I think it contains the nuances of both "I" and "we."
There are similar things in everyday life. It's work, but it goes beyond work and enters into the personal. It's personal, but it eventually connects to work. The "public" and the "private" are not actually clearly separate, but rather go back and forth and fluctuate. I feel that writing articles for the Monosas site is similar to that feeling.
There is no set pattern. The pain and joy of creating.
The opening line, "I don't know what to write," sounds like a cry of the pain of having to search for words from scratch.
It may be easy to find a suitable model site and write by imitating it, but there is little point in doing it on a monosas site. Even if the words are clumsy, we think that an original voice that oscillates between "I" and "we" is important. There is also a DIY spirit in the monosas that says that it is more fun to find words from our own experiences.
It's hard to find your own words from scratch, but I hope that the Monosasu site will become a fun place for staff to express themselves and to have an opportunity to reflect on themselves.
Every day I think about how to bring out the "everyone's words." I'm still feeling my way around, but I spend my days rejoicing when I create a good article, and struggling with writers who are having trouble writing.
---
By the way, I've been doing this corner twice now, but it hasn't been very exciting...
I hope to bring you some lighter-hearted articles in next month's issue.
Well, everyone, although it's a little early, have a happy new year!
(The Monosasu website will be updated daily until Monday, December 28th.)
NAKANIWA Keiko